Unfortunately, this isn't an instruction thread but it could be used as one in the future. I need help to write the proposal and also some ideas about how to finance the project. My "public comment" can only be 3 minutes in length. I am fairly certain I could speak well (I used to act in college) as long as I have note cards (bad memory).

I haven't been on Dogster in ages and this is the first thread I looked for. I am SO happy everything worked out for you guys. And what a relief about those fines! Congratulations and keep up the great work.

You know, I could get offended. But, honestly, I am not going to be concerned by someone that leaves an anonymous comment. If it was someone I knew and respected, I might feel differently. When I worked in retail we had a saying, "You can please 10% of people all the time, 80% of people most of the time and 10% people never."

Tyson is still doing well. Well enough, in fact, that when we went to the dog park today, he could fetch while I used the Chuck-it without even limping. His mood and range of motion are doing nothing but improving still. We added in chondroitin and msm (actually, it's an all-in-one pill) because I had read that they were helpful in the body's repair of cartilage. It seems to work working well.

I'm with Libby. Shelters and pounds do their best to locate the owners of lost animals. Had he been micro-chipped, a mere $10-$20 at most places, he would have easily been reunited with said owners. Even if Scout had come to us without a chip, we have put one in. It's just too easy for dogs to lose their collars and thus their info. It's harder to lose something that is under their skin. I've heard England is thinking of requiring microchips on all dogs.

Zephyr, I can see how it is harder to shape. Just getting Tyson to make eye contact was a challenge because if I shifted the ball in my hand, he would just stare and stare at it which defeats the purpose. Waiting him out took FOREVER. All I could see in his brain was, "she has the BALL! BALL! How do I get the BALL? It was something a minute ago. But she has a BALL! I LOVE BALLS!" I almost felt bad for him.

How were you able to develop the drive? I'm having a hard time figuring out what Scouts primary drive is. He likes/loves food but doesn't exactly go bananas for it and I get the same reaction with toys. I caught him outside herding leaves by barking, crouching and stalking a week or so ago.

I think a behaviorist or trainer is your best bet. Not only to give you a second opinion but also to maybe convince your roommate that euthanasia isn't always the only solution.

The tarp would definitely be a short-term solution to a long term problem. Some work with desensitization and behavior modification be called for. Even with the tarp, I wouldn't let him outside without being a leash that is in your hand. Fence-fighting is like counter surfing in that it is a self-rewarding behavior. He is rewarded when the other dog gets called inside by its owner or it walks off and vice versa for the other dog.

If I were in your shoes, I would start the training in the house with a high value treat/reward. I would go with either "watch me" and "leave it" or "look at that". Once I was getting 85-90% consistency, move to the back yard by the door. Go through the same process as inside. Move a little further away. Rinse and repeat until I am next to or near the fence. Until my dog isn't fence reactive, I would have him toilet on leash in the front yard.

There are others around here that have first hand experience with this issue and I hope they chime in.

What is her personality like? Does she seem drivey? Is she seemingly distracted? Does she follow her nose?

These are all clues to help.

I'm a bit lucky in that both of ours display traits of their suspected primary mixed breeds. Tyson is Shepherd/Heeler. He "guards" the house, alerts us to possible strangers, herds our wild cats, is super smart, is committed to doing anything I ask (heeler trait), watches over the flock/family, has the heeler stare and is a ball-aholic.

Scout is younger and a bit more of a challenge. I think he's heeler/border collie mix. He nips heels (we're working on it), chases anything that moves, has the border collie stances (both crouch and play), has heeler nose (wide) and more of a border head, is starting to do the stare that herders get and is super smart.

Looks-wise I would guess either pit or heeler due to noggin width. Tail coloration implies a bit of Shepherd. Coat coloration alone doesn't really provide much info because black/brown is a default color for mixes. If she has her nose to the ground a lot, I'd even toss in a bit of hound. I'm not talking your normal sniffing, I mean a LOT. If the pics of her are recent, I'd say she has a bit more growing to go.

Wow. I mean,wow. I really can't understand the mindset of the "eternal pet". I am interested in learning their point of view, though.

We haven't had AP in years as it was in a package that was far more than we have been able to afford. When we had it, it was when they had the good shows like Emergency Vets and Breed All About It. It a shame to hear how downhill they've gone. Even Tyson used to watch the TV. In the back of my mind was the thought that if anything happened to my ferrets, I could take them to Dr. Fitzgerald. They have since passed. His vet tech interns at the time were primarily from Bel-Rea Institute.